Circuit-closer.



PATENTED JULY 25, 1905.

B. R. GARIOHOPF. CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLIGATION mum we 25, 1900.

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Inventor Witnesses:

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No. 795,340. 4 PATENTED JULY 25, 1905.

B. R. GARIGHOFF.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1900.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE R. CARICHOFF, OF EAST ORANGE, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW' JERSEY.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed August 25, 1900. Serial No. 27,979.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE R. CARIoHorF, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit- Closers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a circuit-closer in which the circuit is made and broken between suitable contacting surfaces by the reciprocation of one of the members. The construction is such that the contacting surfaces are perpendicular, or approximately so, to the direction of movement by which they are brought together and is also such that the surfaces rub on each other transversely to the direction in which the power is applied in bringing them together, so that the surfaces are polished and kept in condition for affording the best electrical contact. The full force of this power is therefore expended in forcing the surfaces in contact, and the construction which permits of the transverse movement is such that it does not impair the force of the power which is expended in bringing the surfaces together. ing of the circuit the construction is such that the reciprocating member in separating the contacting surfaces acts with a considerable mechanical advantage, so as to insure their separation in event of the surfaces having become welded or stuck together. This is accomplished by so mounting one of the contacting members that it will have a slight rocking movement and cause one of the contacting surfaces to slide transversely over the other before separating.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line 00 w of Fig. 2, showing the circuit-closer. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the circuitcloser together with a solenoid which operates it, the solenoid being broken away on the line Fig. 3 is a side view showing the circuit-closer with the magnetic blow-out in section on the line m m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the wiring connections. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are positional views showing the successive relation of the parts in opening the circuit.

The circuit-closer consists of a reciprocating member or plunger 1, which is lifted by a solenoid-coil 2 in a rectilinear direction when For the proper breakthe solenoid is energized and drops by gravity when the current is cut ofi from the coil. The circuit-closer is usually employed to make and break the main circuit of a motor, and the solenoid is operated through a light auxiliary circuit. As shown, the main circuit is closed when the solenoid is energized and the reciprocating member is lifted, and the main circuit is broken when the solenoid is deenergized and the reciprocating member is dropped. Although this circuit-closcr is especially suited to operation by a solenoid or magnet, as shown, yet the manner of operating the reciprocating member is not necessary to this invention. The circuit-closer may be inverted, so that the circuit will be made when the reciprocating member falls and will be opened when it is lifted. The solenoid-coil is surrounded by an iron yoke 3, which is supported from a slate 4. The reciprocating member carries two parallel bridging-bars, through which the main circuit is closed by the bridging-bars in parallel. The lower of these bars 5 closes the circuit between it and two pivoted contact members 6, which are supported from the slate and carry contact-blocks, shown as, but not necessarily, of carbon. The upper of the bridging-bars 8 closes the circuit between it and a pair of yieldingly mounted contact members each consisting of a set of four copper-faced spring contact-fingers 9, which are supported from the slate. The bridgingbars pass through eyes in the reciprocating member and are firmly secured by nuts 10. These bars are preferably insulated from the reciprocating member by insulating-bushings in the eyes and insulating-washers under the nuts. groups of spring contact-fingers pass through an opening in a guide-frame 11, against which they are stopped when the contacts are not made. When the reciprocating member rises, it abuts against the fingers 9 and has sufficient upward movement after contact is made to lift the fingers off from their stop position against the bottom of the guide-frame. Further upward movement of the reciprocating member as the bridging-bar contacts with and lifts the ends of the fingers also tilts them, and they consequently have a slight transverse or rocking movement while in contact with the top of the bridging-bar, thus giving a wiping contact. The contact-surfaces of the fingers are notched or made slightly hollowing to increase the contact; but this is immaterial.

The copper-faced ends of each of the Each of the pair of contact members for the lower bridging-bar consists of a single pivoted lever on the end of which is a jaw in which the two carbon blocks are clamped. Each block might be yieldingly mounted independently of the other blocks by being carried either on a separated pivoted member or by a spring, as in the case of the copper contacts; but this is not so important, since the carbon blocks are readily adjusted or will quickly wear, so as to give a uniform contact. The pivoted lever is pressed downward by a spring 12 and stopped by engagement of an arm 13 on the rear end of the lever with a lug 14 on the bracket 15, to which the lever is pivoted, when the reciprocating member is down and the contacts are not made. The adjustment of the parts is such that the carbon blocks will lie closer to the bridging-bar than the copper contacts to their bridgingbar when the reciprocating member is down. Consequently contact will be made first and broken last at the carbon contacts, and as the circuits through the carbon contacts and through the copper contacts are in parallel all arcing will take place at the carbon contacts. One bridging-bar might, if desired, be used for all of the contacts, in which case one or more of the contacts would be left longer than the others to take the arcing, or the arcing contacts only might be used.

The carbon or arcing contacts are each provided with a magnetic blow-out. It consists of a stud 16, of iron, with two iron pole-pieces 17 18, between which the circuit is made and broken at the carbon contacts. Plates of insulating material 19 protect the pole-pieces from the arc. The stud, and thereby the attached pole-pieces, are magnetized by the current which passes through a coil 20, of flat copper wire. One end of this wire is attached to the stud and the other end is attached to the bracket for the pivoted contact-lever. he main leads A B of the circuit which is controlled by the circuit-closer are attached to the studs of the blow-out coils. The circuit through the carbon contacts is therefore from the lead A to the stud 16 ot the left-hand blowout coil, through the coil 20 to the left-hand pivoted contact-lever 6, through its carbon blocks 7, through the bridging-bar 5 to the right-hand carbon blocks 7 and their pivoted contact-lever 6, to the right-hand coil 20, to its stud 16, to lead B. The circuit through the copper contacts is in parallel with the other circuit from lead A through the contact springs 9 of the lefthand contact member, through the bridging-bar 8 to the contact springs 9 of the right-hand contact member, to lead B. If desired, the springs 9 may be connected to the pivoted lever 6 and then through the blow-out coils to their respective leads A B instead of directly to their leads, as shown. In this case blow-out coils will be energized if the circuit is closed at either set of contacts. \Vith the connections as shown the blow-out coils are energized only when the circuit is open at the copper contacts and closed at the carbon contacts.

At the back of the reciprocating member or plunger is aguiding-leat' 21, which plays in a slot in a block 22, which is bolted to the slate. This prevents the ends of the bridging-bars from rocking sidewise and confines them to an up-and-down movement.

The operation of the circuit-closer in open ing is shown in the positional views. Fig. 5 shows the reciprocating member fully lifted and the contacts made at both the copper and carbon contacts with the bridging-bars. Fig. 6 shows the bridging-bars slightly lowered and the spring contact-lingers and the carbon blocks still in contact with their bridgingbars, but at a slightly-different angle, both having rocked slightly, and the points of contact are slightly nearer to the outer ends of the fingers and the outer edges of the carbon blocks. This is because the springs bend, and the pivoted contact-levers rock about points 23 2A, which are slightly above and to one side of their respective contacts. There is therefore a transverse movement of the copper contacts and the carbon contacts, which, though slight, is suliicient to break any weld which may have been made by the current. As this transverse movement is brought about by the downward movement of the bridging-bars, which is much greater, it follows that the rocking and transverse movement is effected with considerable mechanical advantage, and the breaking of any welding of the contacting faces is therefore insured. At the position of Fig. 6 the copper-faced contact-lingers are stopped against the bottoms of their guide-frames, and further downward movement to the position of Fig. 7 separates the copper contacts without arcing from their bridging-bar, while the carbon blocks continue in contact with their bridging-bar, but with a slight rocking and transverse movement. At the position of Fig.

7 the pivoted contact-levers are stopped against their lugs, and further downward,

movement of the bridging-bars opens the circuit at the carbon contacts of the pivoted levers, and the arcs which are formed at both sets of carbon contacts are blown by the magnetic blow-out toward the ends of the bridging-bar by the magnetic lield, since the current circulates through the blow-out coils in the proper direction to blow the arcs in the directions stated.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A circuitcloser, comprising two members, one having a movement to and from the other sutficient to form contact, and the other being yieldingly mounted and having a rocking motion on the first in the direction of said movement, and also a transverse motion, with respect to the to-and-fro movement, while the two are in contact; substantially as described.

2. A circuit-closer, comprising two pairs of contacts closing in succession, one pair being electrically connected in parallel with the other pair, and each pair being made up of two members, one having a movement to and from the other, sufficient to form contact, and the other being yieldingly mounted and having a rocking motion on the first in the direction of said movement, and also a transverse motion with respect to the to-and-fro movement, while the two are in contact; substantially as described. v

3. A circuit-closer comprising a reciprocating member with a bridging-bar and yieldingly-mounted contacts which engage with and have a rocking and transverse movement on the bridging bar, substantially as described.

4. A circuit-closer comprising a reciprocatlng member with two bridgingebars which engage with two sets of yieldingly-mounted coptacts, these contacts having a rocking and 

